Lid closing and holding device for journal-boxes



D. C. DAVIS.

LID CLOSING ANDVHOLDING DEVICE FDR JOURNAL BOXES. APPLICATION man mm. 1920.

1,360, 1 94. Patented Nov. 23, 1920. I

A 7 fawn/5X5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.` l`

DONALD o. DAvIs, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssIGNOn To GOULD coni-LER COMPANY,

`.or NEW YORK, "N, Y.

LID cLOsING AND HOLDING DEVICE :Fon JOURNAL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Yatent. Patented N0V 23, 1929.

Application tiled January 5, 1920. Serial No. 349,391.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DONALD C. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bui.- falo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, `have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lid Closing and Holding Devices for Journal-Boxes, of which the ,c following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring-actuated devices which` are used onthe lids `of car journal boxes for closing thellids and releasably holding the lids in their: closed and Open positions.

The lids of car journal boxes are usually provided with leaf springs or spring-actuated levers, which press `against the hinge lugs at the `top oi the boxes insuch a way as to releasably hold the lids either closedor open. In some boxes the leaf spring or lever extends up into a recess in the underside of the hinge lugand presses outwardly against the front wall of the recess for holdingr the lid closed. j In opening the lid the spring or lever passes around the lower end on corner .may be required.

of the hinge lug and bears against the outer face of the lug for holding the lidin the raised, open position.` `The spring mustbe relatively stiff` in order to tightly close the lid, and since the upper! end of the spring or lever must have considerable Inpvement in order to pass around `the corner of the lug in opening and closing the lid, such springs are frequently broken orjbecome permanently set and are, therefore, a lsource of `trouble and expense. `The "spring actuated y lever closing and holding devicesas heretofore constructed are more or less complicated and add materially to` the costof the boxes.`

` The objects of this invr-nition` areto provide a practical and .desirable lid closing `and holding device,`which`i`s of simpleand inexpensive construction7 which canbe ,applied to the lids withtheniinimum laborand exn pense c and which.` while giving a," `strong spring action to the device, Apermits alfree,

eXtended movement of the same also toprovide a lidclosing and .holding device, which enables the use ofa substantially fiat lidfree from outwardly projecting portions also to provide a closing and holding device of this sort l,in which the action of the operating spring can be readily adjusted to increase or decrease the pressure of theholdinglever" as In the accompanying drawings:

`Figure l is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a journal box and lid provided with a lid`closing and holding device embodying the invention, showing the lid closed.

Fi 2 is a similar view thereof, showing the lid held in its open or raised position. 'i

. Fig. 3 is an inside elevation, partly in section, showing the lid closing andyholding device.

A represents the journal box, the outer end.

portion only of which isshown, and B the 11d for closmgthe iilling opeliing n. oi the box,` The lid is hinged at its upper' end to `swing outwardly and downwardly, prefer-- ably, asusual,` by a hinge pin c passing through hinge lugs on the lid and through a hinge lug D on the filling Opening.

Inthe embodiment of the `invention herein describechthe spring-actuated lid closingand holding device comprises a lever 10, which is journal box above `the located on the inner side of the lid and is` suitably pivoted at its lower end von the lid v near the lower end thereof `with its upper end arranged to bear against the hinge lug D, and a coil spring 1l, `which is arranged between thelever and a stud or member 12,

which projects inwardly `from the lid, so as to press the upper end of the lever outwardly or toward the lid. TheV upper end ot' the lever'is suitably roundedfor shaped to `propg erly enter the recess clin the hinge lug D and engage and slide on the hinge lug, and the lever is preferably made with strengthening flanges to givea light but strong lever. In the construction shown, the lower end of the lever is pivoted on a pin 13 which passes through a hole in the lower end of the lever' and through apair of perforated lugs 14 er tending inwardly fronrthelid at opposite sides of thelever. The pivot pin `is preferw ably retained in placeby a Cotter pin or` other retainer 15 which enables the ready re moval of the pivot pin. The stud'or member 12 is preferably a bolt of the ordinary car `riage bolt type having` a rounded or convex head and a shank portion 16, of square orA non-circular shape adjacent the head, which passes through and lits` in a correspondingly shaped hole in the lid `B. The bolt `passes ,loosely `through a hole in the lever l() and is provided at its inner end with a washer, disk or bearer 1.7, which retained on the halt. by i 30 its closed position.

5 Vseat or socket 19, in which the outer end of the spring is confined, and the washer or disk 17 1s provided with a central boss which extends into the inner end oi' the spring. The Y spring is thus retained in position concen- Vl trically witlrthe bolt l2 between the lever and the washer or disk lr'. The' pressure ot the spring and the pressure of the lever against the hinge lug can be re, ;ulatedl as desired, :by vtightening or loosening the nut 18 l by means of an ordinary wrench or tool. Y

The lid-closing and holding deviceA con` structed as described is simple and inexpensive and can be quickly .applied to the lid with very little. labor, and in the case oi the 20 loss'orl breakage of. any of the parts, they can be'quic'kly'and easily replaced by an `unskilled workman without the use of special tools.

lIn the closed .position of the lid the spring presses the upper end ofthe Vlever l0 outwardly against the front wall of the recess cl 'in the hinge lug D, thus drawing the lid inwardly against ,the rim of the filling opening Vand vholding' it firmly but Yy'ieldingly in The lid can be raised as usual, by pulling upwardly and forwardly vonV its lower end with suiiicient force to overcome the holding` action' of the spring-*actuated lever. Asthe lid is being raised, the

'35 upper end of the lever will pass aroundthe .the outer faceoffthe lug, as indicated in Fig. 2, therebyholfding the :lid in its open position. In this "position'the closing and holdlower end oflthe -hinge lug, andbear Vagainst 40 ing device is readily accessible and can be easily adjusted or replaced by a new one. I'claim asmyinventioiizi l. The combination with a journal box7 and a lid hinged thereto, of a leverpivoted on vsaidlid and having a` free end arranged to bear against a part of the journal box, a member Ywhich extends inwardly from the lid Abeyond' said lever,` and a spring arranged Vinwardly' beyondY the lever between 50,l said member andl said lever and acting on the lever Vto `force theV free end thereof yagainst Ysaid part. of the box.

i '2.'The""`combihation,with a journal box, and a lid hinged4 thereto, of a lever pivoted V #at l'one end on thevlid and having its opposite end arranged Yto bear Yagainst a part ot the journal-box. a detachable member which extends inwardly from the lid, and al spring arranged between said member and said le- .ver aetingfonjthelever between its pivot and the :treeend 'of thelever to force said Atree end toward thellid. i

The combination'with a journal box, and alid hinged thereto, ot a lever pivoted on isaidflld andy having a free end arranged on said lid and havingl a free end to bear against a part of the journal box. a member which extends inwardly trom the lid beyond said lever, a spring.;` arranged inwardly beyond the lever between said incur ber and said lever and acting on the lever to force the i'rec end thereof against, said part of the box, and adjustable means tor regulating the force exerted by said spring.

el. The combination with a journal box. and a lid hinged thereto. of a lever pivoted arranged to bear against a part ot the journal box. a stud which projects inwardly 'troni (he lid beyond said lever. a spring bearer on said stud inwardly beyond said lever. and a spring which surrounds said stud betwern said bearer and the lever and acts to 'tor-ne the free end of the lever against said pari of the box.

5. The combination with a journal box. and a lid hinged thereto. olf a lever pivoied on said lid and having a free end arranged to bear against a part oi the journal box. a stud which projects inwardly troni theI lid beyond said lever. a spring bearer ad- -justable on said stud inwardly beyond said lever, and a spring which surrounds said stud between said bearer and the lever and acts to force the free end of the lever against said part of the box.

6. The combination with a journal box. and a lid hinged thereto, of a lever pivoted on said lid and having a tree end arranged to bear against a part of the journal box. a bolt which extends inwardly through tlu` lid and through said level'. a nut screwwl ou the, inner end of said bolt. and a spring surrounding the bolt between said nutl and the lever and acting to force the tree end ot the lever against said part ot the box.

7. The combination with a journal box. and a lid hinged thereto. of a lever pivotod on said lid and having` a, free end arranged tor bear against a part of the journal box. a bolt which extends inwardly through the lid and through said lever and is held from turning` in the lid. a nut screwed on the inner end of said bolt. and a spring surround ing the bolt between said nut and the lever and acting to force the free end oi the lever toward the lid.

8. The combination with a journal box. and a lid hinged thereto. of a lever pivotcd on said lid and having a tree end arranged to bear against a part of the journal box. a detachable member ,extending inwardly through said lid and said lever. and a spring on the inner end of said detachable member and acting to force the free end of said lever against a part of said journal box.

9.- The combination with a journal box` and a lid hinged thereto. of a lever pi voted on said lid and having` a tree end arranged to bear against a part of the journal box, and an adjustable and readily 4detachable ltltl lll) lll() member extending inwardly through said lid and said lever, and a spring on said ad justable and detaehable member and acting to i'oree the free end of said lever against a part of said journal box.

10. The combination with a journal box and a lid hinged thereto, of a lever detachably pivoted to said lid for movement toivard and from said lid to releasably engage a part oi the journal box, a removable bolt having a seating in said lid and extending inwardly through said lever, a spring surrounding said bolt in vfardly of said lever, and an adjustable bearer on said bolt for inaintaining` spring pressure on said lever.

ll. The combination with a journal. box

and a lid hinged thereto, of a lever detaelr ably pivoted to said lid 'for movement to- Ward and from said lid to releasably en gage a part of the journal box, a removable bolt having a seating in said lid and eX- tending inwardly through said lever, a spring surrounding said bolt inwardly of said lever, and an adjustable bearer on said bolt for maintaining spring pressure on said lever, said adjustable bearer member having a part seated in one end of said spring for centering said bolt in said spring.

fitness my hand this 30th day of December, 1919.

DONALD C, DAVIS. lVitnesses z ALLEN B. BRIMMER, GEORGE E. HAMMOND. 

